Cold Fire
by blue-seme
Summary: What do you get when you put a grumpy Ice King and a certain firey shinagami together in the same house? Angsty boys love of course! ByakuIchi, ByakuyaXIchigo, onesided RenjiIchigo !Warning!: Shounenai, Angst, Mentions of Lemon, slight AU, slight language
1. A Mysterious Letter

**Cold Fire**

**Chapter I – A Mysterious Letter**

Little pink bunnies… Fat ones… They seemed to be hovering in front of him, trying to tell him something. Sure enough, one of them opened their mouth, only to emit a strange beeping noise. Vaguely he wondered if bunny-speech was very vulgar and needed to be censored or something. However, the beeping did not stop; in fact, it started to grow louder as the seconds ticked by. Ichigo's eyebrow twitched.

WHAM! Ichigo slowly crept out of bed, glaring at the now slightly dented alarm clock sitting innocently on his beside-table.

"Useless piece of junk…" he muttered angrily, glaring at the offensive object. After a few seconds he turned away, and started to get dressed, satisfied that the clock had been fully intimidated. As he rummaged around in his dresser looking for a clean t-shirt he thought about the dream he had been having when the clock had so rudely interrupted him. It had started out normal enough, but as it continued it had spun into a complicated whirlwind of Hollow plushies, mayonnaise, and creatures that came straight out one of Rukia's weird drawings.

Ichigo wondered how Rukia was doing in the Soul Society. The last time he had been there was when he had fought the leader of the Bount. Rukia had seemed fine then, but he still sort of missed seeing her in the normal world. More than once he had turned around to talk with her, only for no one to be there. He had been feeling her absence more now then ever, it was the end of summer vacation, and currently he had a lot of time to himself.

Glancing in the mirror quickly, Ichigo took in his appearance. Short, spiky orange hair, in a shade so bright it could almost be considered obscene, and a pair of almond shaped brown eyes. He was on the taller side, around 5' 9", with a well-toned body. He was muscular, but not too so, with a bit of leanness that gave an almost graceful touch. Clothed in a plain green t-shirt and a pair of loose jeans he looked like an ordinary high school student, not a deadly warrior who could defeat a giant soul-sucking monster with a single sword stroke. The spoken teen fingered the small keychain that certified him as a substitute soul reaper.

The last bit of summer vacation had been pretty uneventful; Ichigo had only had to defeat a couple Hollows, weak ones at that. In fact, Ichigo was feeling a bit isolated at the moment. Rukia was in the Soul Society, Chad was on a foreign-exchange summer trip in America, Orihime was at camp and Ishida was going on some weird tour of old buildings in Hokkaido. _That guy has the strangest tastes_, thought Ichigo as he sweatdropped mentally.

With no one to hang out with, Ichigo had had a lot of time to himself these past few weeks. Karin was pretty busy playing soccer and goofing off, Yuzu had hardly any time to spare with a household to run, and Ichigo's dad…. Well, Ichigo defiantly did not want to spend anymore time with him then he had to (Ichigo twitched at the thought). Actually he had been spending a bunch of time at Urahara's shop recently. He had been helping out a couple hours a day by sorting newly shipped-in merchandise for the exchange of some free training.

Pulling on a pair of socks, Ichigo slowly made his way downstairs for breakfast. His father sat at the table, while Yuzu dished up individual helpings of rice and miso soup.

"Yo," greeted Ichigo casually, pulling up a chair.

"GOOD MORNING ICHIGOOO!" shouted his dad enthusiastically, encasing his apathetic son in a crushing bear hug. As usual he was wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt along with his white doctor's coat.

"Aa…" grunted the orange-haired teen, wrenching his way out of his father's rib-cracking embrace.

"Here's your breakfast Ichigo! Rice and a fried egg alright?"

Ichigo glanced up at his smiling sister. Yuzu looked very cute as usual; her brownish-blond hair was pulled out of her eyes by two pretty red barrettes shaped like dragonflies. It was amazing how she managed to take care of the house and do good in school was beyond him, Ichigo was sure she would become a beautiful woman when she grew up.

"Yep, thanks Yuzu," said Ichigo, flashing a rare smile, "itadakimasu!"

"No problem, oh thanks for getting the mail Karin!"

Karin grunted and walked up to the table, her dark hair tucked under a red baseball cap like normal. She was rifling through what looked like to be a mass of bills and magazines advertising the usual junk.

"Anything good?" asked Ichigo out of habit. He took a BIG bite of fried egg, yum! Yuzu's eggs were always good…

"Not really… Wait! There's something for you Ichigo," she looked quizzically at the official-looking letter before handing it over to her brother.

"Huh?" mumbled Ichigo through a mouthful of egg, little bits of the white stuck around his face. His family snorted simultaneously; with his stuffed cheeks he resembled a chipmunk with an orange wig. (A/N: Snickers at mental image..) Swallowing, the teen took the letter, gazing at the unfamiliar handwriting that listed his address.

Kurosaki Ichigo-sama

1101 Happy Lane

Ikehara

29780

There was no return address.

The envelope was made of a thick, slightly yellow paper that was unfamiliar to Ichigo. It also emitted an unusual, but not unpleasant odor (a combination of ink and green tea perhaps?). Upon the seal was a stamp, a stamp which Ichigo was rather familiar with; the symbol that was used to represent the Soul Society .

"Who's it from?" asked Karin curiously.

"Ah, a friend of mine," replied Ichigo, thinking fast, "they're on vacation and wanted to keep in touch."

"Hum," muttered Karin, slouching back in her chair, a rather bored expression on her face.

"I'm finished, thanks for breakfast Yuzu, I'll be upstairs."

He gave his dishes to his sister, pushed in his chair, and started making his way to his bedroom, eager to read the letter. As he turned his back to his family he was oblivious to them gazing concernedly at his back.

Glad that he was in his room and free from the prying eyes of his family, Ichigo immediately sat at his desk and ripped the envelope open. His fingers trembled slightly as he pulled out the neatly folded paper from within. Unfolding it carefully, he began to read:

Dear Kurosaki-san,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for an exchange student program at the University of Soul and Spirit. The arrangements with your current school have already been made; we at the U.S.S. would be honored if you joined us for a year in our unique curriculum. Room and board will be provided free, as well as the payments for materials and uniforms…

Ichigo scanned the rest of the letter, feeling thoroughly confused, an exchange student program? Why him? And why was the Soul Society logo on the envelope?

Suddenly an extra piece of paper that Ichigo had not noticed fluttered out from the folds of the bigger letter. It fell on his idle hand, brushing the skin like the wings of a butterfly.

The orange-haired teen jumped slightly, and seeing the document, he picked it up and began to scan the page:

Kurosaki-san:

The other letter is for show, give it to your parent or guardian to see, the real situation is as follows: After a meeting of the captains and the Council, it has been decided that you shall be moved from the physical world into the Soul Society were you will be looked after.

It has been determined that ex-captains Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin are after you and your powers, so for your and your family's safety it has been determined that you must come to the Soul Society as soon as possible. You will be picked up on the 29th of August precisely at 8 PM in the back of Urahara's shop. Please only bring your absolute necessities.

Sincerely,

Mizushi Ryousuke, High Secretary

The piece of paper slid from Ichigo's grip as soon as he finished reading. He gazed unseeingly at the white ceiling, his brown eyes out of focus.

He was going back, to the Soul Society. He'd see everyone Rukia, maybe even Byakuya, and … Renji…

_Renji._

Ichigo's eyes slid shut, he grimaced slightly, there was no way he could get out of this one.

To Be Continued –

Normally people use –sama when addressing letters.

I really can't remember if the Soul Society has a logo, well now they do.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Kubo Tite does of course.

Itadakimasu: Japanese for "thanks for the food".

A/N Drabble: Forgive me about the timeline, I need for this to start in the summer, so the whole Bount thing happened earlier, this fic will probably be AU because of that. BTW: no actual lemons in this story, sorry, but there will be mentions of 'em, and LOTS of making out XD WOOT!!

Why is Ichigo thinking of Renji? Especially when this is a ByakuIchigo fanfic? You shall see soon ;)! Muhahaha, I am so evil… I hope to get the next update up soon!


	2. The Invitation

**Cold Fire**

**Chapter II – The Invitation**

The musty scent of drying leaves.

That was the first thing that hit Ichigo when he arrived in the Soul Society. Slowly the bright light that had obscured his vision faded, leaving him with the image of whitewashed buildings and a clean cobblestone road. Gripping the rough fabric of the handle of his backpack he cleared his senses. He thought back to a couple hours ago at Urahara's shop, waiting for the portal.

- Flashback -

Surprisingly it hadn't taken much to convince his father to let his son participate in the 'exchange' program. After packing a few necessities, and saying goodbye to his family (his father and Yuzu in tears, Karin was basically indifferent to the whole thing), Ichigo had went off to Urahara's place on the 29th of August just like the note had told him to do.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun, here to help again today?" asked the shady (A/N: heh…) shopkeeper, his fan covering the lower half of his face.

"Nope, I'm supposed go to the Soul Society for awhile. I guess the portal thingy will be picking me up here," replied Ichigo rather uninterestedly.

"Ah… I see," Urahara muttered quietly, a slight smile on his face, and walked over to the storage room to check out some new merchandise.

Listening to the clicking sound of the shopkeeper's receding footsteps and thinking that he would just sit and wait for the portal to escort him, Ichigo sat on a rather decrepit-looking chair in the entryway to the shop. As he sat he stretched slightly, sighing in pleasure as a couple of out of place joints popped back into place.

"Is he gone?"

Ichigo jumped in sudden surprise, looking down to where the noise had come from – his backpack. "What-"

"Phew, now I can come out. I must say that male pheromones are much less pleasure inducing than a female's," sighed an all too familiar voice.

"K-Kon?"

"Oh hello there Ichigo! When do we get to see Nee-chan?" asked Kon, an innocent expression on his fuzzy face.

"Okay Kon, I wish I could phrase this more eloquently, but to be frank, what the _hell _are you doing in my backpack?" questioned Ichigo, twitching slightly; it felt like he had been doing that a lot lately.

"I faced many horrors last time you left me with that- that- sister of yours, my sexy body was assaulted countless times. And, oh pain of pains! My beautiful name was changed to the degrading title of…. BOSTOV!!"

Kon was in tears by the end of this tragic speech, and he crumpled upon Ichigo's backpack, dramatic sobs being emitted from his faux fur covered mouth.

"Yare yare, with you keeping up this racket I'll probably get kicked out of the Soul Society for causing a disturbance of the peace," grumbled the orange-haired teen, cleaning out his ear with a pinkie finger.

"Pleeease take me with you Ichigo! I haven't seen Nee-chan for so long, besides," Kon chuckled lightly, a gleam in his beady eye, "we're buddies aren't we?"

"Whatever, just don't bother me when we're there," muttered Ichigo, attempting to fend of the living plushie that had suddenly attached itself to his side, sobbing in gratitude.

"Kurosaki-san, Kurosaki-san,"

Ichigo looked down to see Ururu tugging at his sleeve meekly. "Eh?"

"The portal will be here very soon, Urahara-san said you should come to the back of the store."

Silently Ichigo picked up his things and followed, snatching Kon and shoving the disgruntled stuffed creature into his pack quickly. They passed by the selves of the many strange items for sale until they reached the door that led to the back room.

"Ah, Arigato Ururu-chan," cried Urahara brightly. Beckoning with his fan for Ichigo to come by him, he spoke, "The gateway should appear in just a few minutes, if you would just wait here until then…"

And so Ichigo stood and waited, there was defiantly no way he was getting out of this now. He understand why he was needed at the Soul Society, in fact, he was surprised that they hadn't called for him sooner… But that didn't mean that he wanted to go back, however, he couldn't run away anymore. It was time that he had faced the problem, a. k. a. Renji. Ichigo hadn't seen the other teenager since the Bount experience; he closed his eyes as he was suddenly bombarded by dully painful memories.

_A first kiss, inexperienced and slightly awkward, noses bumped, lips pressed together experimentally…_

_"Aishiteru Renji."_

_"Right back atcha Strawberry."_

_Hands tangled in Ichigo's bright hair, bruising nips down his abdomen. Ichigo panicked when he saw them, much to Renji's amusement… "How am I supposed to explain these to my dad you horny baboon!?" "Just say they're a present from a friend." "Wha- NO WAY!!"_

_"A-ah Renji!" "Don't worry, It'll feel better in a moment." "Nn…" Hot bodies moving in sync, clothed in nothing but moonlight…_

_The ache of loneliness, Renji was on a mission again._

_Excuses for absences, he missed Renji when he was gone, yet when he was with him he felt like he was suffocating. _

"_You're cold Ichigo, when I first met you I thought you had fire… But I guess I was wrong."_

A sudden exclamation from Urahara brought Ichigo back, something had changed in the air, it seemed to shimmer in front of him, and the spiritual pressure was higher and more noticeable too.

"Here we go," chirped the shopkeeper happily. Sure enough, an old-fashioned sliding door was starting to materialize in the air in front of them. Ichigo was reminded of the time when Byakuya and Renji had come to take Rukia away to her execution. Like then, Hell butterflies fluttered around the entrance, bathed in a bluish light.

Slowly the door opened, a bright light from inside blinded Ichigo temporarily. Next thing he knew the red-headed shinigami known as Matsumoto was standing right in front of him.

"Hello again Kurosaki-san, Urahara-san," she said politely, bowing slightly to show massive cleavage.

"Ah h-hi Matsu-"started Ichigo, only to be interrupted by a flying mass of stuffing.

"OH MY BEAUTIFUL GODDESS WITH BOUNTIFUL VALLEYS!! You have come to bless me with your enormous pillows of youthful love!" cried Kon with much emotion, latching onto the attractive vice-captain's rather large bosom.

"Um, please excuse this guy," said Ichigo blushing slightly, "he's just crazy, very unstable you see. Now get in there, and stay there!" he growled at Kon menacingly, pushing the writhing teddy back into his pack. "So ah, where's the short guy?"

"Hitsugaya-taichou is on a solo mission right now, top secret, I have no idea when he'll be back," replied Matsumoto, still looking a little weirded out by Kon. "Well, if you'll excuse us Urahara-san," she said cheerfully, bowing slightly again, "we ought to be off, the portal will she down automatically soon."

"Ja ne Kurosaki-san, vice captain-san," returned the shopkeeper casually, and turning away, he left the room.

"Well, shall we go Kurosaki-san?" asked Matsumoto.

"Sure, just a sec," Ichigo arranged his pack comfortably on his back, took a deep breath, and moved forward. "Okay, let's go."

They stepped through the door, and again Ichigo was temporarily blinded. Slowly the vision of the Soul Society appeared in front of him, and the scent of musty leaves hit his nose.

End of Flashback –

"We should stop by the main office, to let them know that you've arrived," Matsumoto told Ichigo, and so they made their way along the cobbled streets.

Ichigo could feel the eyes of many people on him as he passed, he wasn't exactly surprised. After all, he was one of the famed Ryouka who had broken in some months earlier, the Ryouka who they were now in alliance with. Still, Ichigo did not exactly love the feeling, and was glad when they reached the main office.

It was a large building, bigger than most in the Soul Society. The two shinigami entered through the large doors in the front after the guards nodded their approval. Ichigo felt more than a little bit intimidated by the sheer vastness of the entryway, the ceiling seemed to touch the sky itself. Matsumoto did not stop to look however, and so he followed.

After ascending an enormous staircase, they emerged upon a long and rather unoccupied hallway.

"Just a little father Kurosaki-san," said Matsumoto with a polite smile.

"Um, you don't have to address me by my surname Matsumoto-san," replied Ichigo rubbing the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. It kind of bugged him, being called by his last name. "It's Ichigo."

The vice captain looked slightly surprised, and Ichigo wondered if he had been rude, but the surprise faded quickly and she smiled. "Ichigo-san then."

"Th-that's fine."

"Here we are!" Ichigo turned slightly to see a plain-looking door on his left, the nameplate read: "Fujime Hitomi, External Matters. The substitute shinigami thought vaguely that external matters might have to do with the physical world. After rapping her knuckles on the door to alert their presence to the occupants of the room, Matsumoto entered the office with Ichigo right behind her.

The room looked just like any other normal office, except for the diplomas on the wall that stated Fujime Hitomi's passing of the Soul Reaper's exam, among other certificates and notifications that could only belong in the Soul Society. Sitting at the desk was a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, her black hair pulled into a casual, yet smart, looking ponytail. She looked up when they entered and smiled, obviously pleased to see the other young woman.

"Matsumoto-san! Good to see you, is this the boy from the Physical World?"

"Yep," replied the red-headed woman, pushing Ichigo forward slightly, "he's just arrived."

"Hajimemashita," greeted the orange-haired teen, bowing slightly, "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo…"

"Nice to meet you too Kurosaki-kun," said Hitomi smiling kindly, "I'm Fujime Hitomi, please sit down. I just need to confirm some things before you settle down here in the Soul Society."

And for the next couple of minutes they talked. For the most part Hitomi just asked questions which Ichigo or Matsumoto answered. Finally after Hitomi filled out some sheets and gave them to a secretary to file, it seemed like they were about done.

"There is just one more thing, Kurosaki-kun. We need to figure out where you will be living during your stay." Before Hitomi could continue to address that subject, there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?' asked Hitomi.

"Excuse me, Fujime-san, Ukitake-taichou sent me with some papers for me to drop off," came the familiar voice of someone Ichigo knew very well.

"Rukia?" gasped Ichigo.

"I-chigo?" replied Rukia; she was staring at him looking very surprised. She had hardly changed since he had last seen her, which had been a couple of months ago she was carrying her Zanpakuto and wearing her usual shihakusho. "What brings you here?" she asked curiously, the look of surprise faded and was replaced by a look of unexpected pleasure.

"I was summoned to live here for a year," answered Ichigo, glad to see his friend.

"Where will you be staying?" questioned Rukia interestedly.

"Well, that's what we were just discussing," said Hitomi, "hello Kuchiki-chan, I can take those papers from you."

"Oh, hello there Fujime-san, Matsumoto-san," replied Rukia, mildly embarrassed for having ignored her superiors. She handed Hitomi the papers quickly. "Wait a sec," a light bulb went off over Rukia's head, "Does Ichigo not have a place to stay?"

"Not at the current moment, Why?" asked Hitomi.

"Well, there are a lot of spare rooms at the Kuchiki mansion, and I'm sure Nii-sama wouldn't mind…" replied Rukia, "I could also show him around the Soul Society, be his tour guide!" She was looking very excited by the end of this, it would be really fun to get to hang out with Ichigo, and they could catch up with each other. _Renji would like it too, I'm sure of it!_ Rukia thought enthusiastically.

"Hmm, well that should be fine. If it's alright with Kurosaki-kun." said Hitomi, looking over the papers with a pair of reading glasses.

"What do you say Ichigo?" asked Matsumoto.

"That would be fine," replied Ichigo, it _would_ be nice to have someone to talk to for a change. He wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Byakuya (the man's cold behavior sort of annoyed Ichigo), but it would be a small price to pay.

"Great! Let's get you moved in right away then!" cried Rukia cheerfully, pulling along a startled Ichigo behind her and out the door. "Goodbye Fujime-san, Matsumoto-san, arigato!"

"Kuchiki-chan can be quite forceful sometimes, ne?" commented Hitomi, a sweatdrop on her forehead.

"You're quite right about that," replied Matsumoto, chuckling quietly.

To Be Continued –

After seeing Renji's bankai, I can't help but think of him as a baboon. XD

A/N: I hope Rukia doesn't seem to OOC, she's just happy that Ichigo's back. And no, this is not IchiRuki, this is ByakuyaIchi.

Thanks for all the reviews and stuff! I really appreciate it! I'll be on vacation for the next week, so don't expect an update for a little while. There will be some more on Renji and Ichigo's relationship, and hopefully we'll see Byaku-chan! Wai! So until next time, R&R.


	3. A Heart of Diamond

**Cold Fire**

**Chapter III – A Heart of Diamond**

It wasn't that Ichigo _minded _being dragged along forcefully by a certain dark-haired female shinigami. However, his patience was being diminished rather swiftly due to the fact that his arm seemed to be falling off, or at least, it felt like it.

"Ano sa, Rukia?"

"Hm?"

"Might we go a little slower? We've been running nonstop for the past fifteen minutes…" mumbled Ichigo, he hoped they wouldn't have to amputate his arm; it had been numb for quite some time.

"Okay, if you want," sighed Rukia disappointedly, releasing Ichigo's hand, much to its owner's relief.

Walking at a much more reasonable pace now, Ichigo gazed at the traditional white buildings around them, having not been able to focus on them earlier. It was mid-afternoon, and a couple of vendors still lined the streets. Among them, Ichigo could pick out the other soul reapers, their shihakushos stood out like black beetles among a pile of leaves. Taking in a hearty breath of fresh air, Ichigo felt thoroughly refreshed, he had spent most of his summer skulking around inside, and it felt great to be bathed in clean sunlight once again.

"Oi, Ichigo."

Rukia's voice suddenly broke him out of his reverie, and glancing at her, he saw that she was pointing at something farther up ahead. Following her gesture, he found himself gazing at what looked to be a much fancier part of the current neighborhood. As if to prove its distinction from the rest of the street, a large wrought iron gate blocked the passage further on, stopping most in their path.

"The Kuchiki estate is just a little farther on, we'll have to stop at the gate up here, and from then on it's all uphill."

Ichigo nodded, and without further comment, they proceeded onward.

"Ah, Kuchiki-sama, good afternoon, heading home are we?" asked the guard politely, smiling cordially at Rukia. "And who may I ask, is this?" he questioned, noticing Ichigo and giving him a suspicious glance, and a look that stated clearly that he did not think Ichigo was worthy to be in the company of the noble Rukia.

"This is Kurosaki Ichigo, a very good friend of mine. He is to be let in at all times, even without me," replied Rukia imperiously, authority oozing from out all her pores.

"Y-yes, of course, Kuchiki-sama, that is just fine," stuttered the guardsman, thoroughly intimidated. Fumbling for the keys, he managed to unlock the gate after a few unsuccessful tries.

After they made their way through, and had walked a couple of yards away, Ichigo turned on Rukia.

"Wow, Rukia, I always thought you were scary, but that topped everything I've seen so far. Well, maybe not the 'Bohaha Incident'. _That was very disturbing…_ he added mentally.

"What do you mean, "Always thought I was scary"? I'm a very polite and refined person," replied Rukia inginantly, not looking very refined, especially with the way her hair was bristling.

Ichigo snorted at the idea of a refined Rukia, and she rebuked him for the whole way up. _When she says uphill, she really means uphill,_ thought Ichigo panting heavily. The street that lead to the Kuchiki estate was seriously the steepest thing he had ever climbed, and Ichigo was gasping for breath by the time they reached the top. Rukia on the other hand was in pristine shape, not a bead of sweat on her forehead.

"Well, here you are," announced Rukia with a dramatic sweep of her arm, "The Kuchiki estate, all twenty acres of it!"

Ichigo's mouth dropped open, if the hill that leads to it was the steepest thing he had ever climbed, than this was the biggest house he had ever seen in his life! With its winged roofing and steep white walls, it looked like one of those old Japanese castles he had seen in textbooks. There was large set of stairs that looked to be made of marble in the front and a humongous door after that. The grounds were tidy and well kept. Green grass that seemed to go on forever was unbelievably smooth, and the walkway that ran its way to the house must have been swept recently, for the cobblestones shone like enormous pearls.

Walking up the path, Ichigo felt like he had been brought back into one of those historical dramas you see on television. He half expected the forty ronin to come charging up from behind them, waving their swords, banners flowing in the wind.

The loud clunk of the vast door being opened brought Ichigo back to reality with a jolt, in front of them was must be the entryway, though to Ichigo it looked more like a ballroom or something. At once a horde of servants made their way up to them, taking Ichigo's backpack and their sandals ceremoniously.

"I'll take you to your room if you like Ichigo," suggested Rukia, "Then you can settle in. Nii-sama was working on some paperwork when I left, and he's probably busy, so we can see him at dinner later."

Ichigo wasn't really sure if he was looking forward to seeing the elder Kuchiki again, they were on fine enough terms now, better than before at least, but Byakuya's cold air of indifference annoyed him a bit. He remembered how angry he had been at the captain because he hadn't spoken out against Rukia's execution, but then again, he thought that maybe Byakuya had changed a little since then.

Deep in thought, Ichigo nearly walked right into the person he was contemplating at that very moment. It was only by sheer luck that he didn't bowl them over, instead he nearly fell over.

"Gah!" cried Ichigo, waving his arms in a mad battle for balance. Suddenly he was standing upright again, no longer wobbling. Byakuya's arms had shot out super fast, and had steadied the other so quickly he had barely registered it.

"Oh, um, thanks Byakuya," said Ichigo gratefully, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

The spoken noble blinked, looking mildly surprised, as if he had seen it was Ichigo for the first time. "Kurosaki…"

"H-hi Nii-sama," addressed Rukia, looking startled at seeing her brother-in-law so unexpectedly, "I'm showing Ichigo to his room, he'll be staying with us for a while, if that's okay of course." She gazed hopefully at Byakuya.

"That's acceptable," replied the other Kuchiki, his eyes still on Ichigo, "If you'll pardon me, I have some paperwork to attend to. I shall see you at dinner."

And with an abrupt flourish of his white captain's coat, he was off down the hall again.

"Not exactly your most social guy…" muttered Ichigo quietly, his eyes on the retreating figure.

"Well, shall we continue Ichigo?" asked Rukia, a little bit flustered.

"Sure."

After walking for what seemed ages, Rukia found the room Ichigo would be staying in.

"It's bigger than your other bedroom, so space is not an issue. Feel free to decorate how you wish," stated Rukia simply, sliding open the rice paper door. Inside was a very spacious room, decorated simply with a few pieces of Japanese art on the walls. On the ground were a comfortable looking futon and a small desk next to a floor cushion. In the corner there was a large closet and set of drawers. Next to the futon was his backpack, placed there by a servant Ichigo guessed.

"Okay, I guess I'll unpack. You mentioned dinner, when is that?"

"Six-thirty, we'll be eating in the dining room. I'll let you be till then, ja ne!" Rukia said, and with a wave of her hand she was off.

Deciding that he might as well unpack, Ichigo unzipped his backpack, to be confronted by a certain stuffed lion.

"Ohayo Ichigo! What time is it?" cried Kon with an energetic aura around him. Looking around, he hopped from the opening in the backpack onto the futon. "Where are we? I do not recognize it."

"It's evening, not morning, and we are at the Kuchiki estate courtesy of Rukia," answered Ichigo, his eyebrow twitching menacingly.

"Nee-chan's here?" shouted Kon, doing a pirouette in surprise, "When did we meet her, and why was I not informed? Oh Nee-chan, I'M COOOOOMING!" And with abnormal speed he dashed of towards the door, only to be stopped by Ichigo, who had grabbed him by the scruff of his fuzzy neck hastily.

"You shouldn't be running through the halls screaming like that, Byakuya would have conniptions (A/N: I LOVE that word! XD)," hissed Ichigo, dragging the tearful lion back to the futon, "We should be as polite as possible, I don't know much about nobility, and I'd rather not rub someone the wrong way." He looked at Kon quizzically, "Anyways, why didn't you come out of the backpack at all earlier? You should have been able to hear Rukia's voice…"

"I was sleeping," stated Kon simply.

_Can plushies even sleep?_ Ichigo sweatdropped mentally. Pushing the thought aside, Ichigo began to pull things out of his backpack in a haphazard manner. Removing a couple extra sets of shinigami uniforms and regular some clothes, Ichigo's mind wandered, and suddenly he found himself thinking about Byakuya. Byakuya had been the first one to see his Hallow side, and yet, it didn't really seem to change the way the Captain thought about him, at least Ichigo hoped so. Vaguely Ichigo wondered if the Captain had ever been married, he didn't seem like the sort of Disney-doves-and-carriage-in-the-sunset sort of guy. But then again, Ichigo hardly knew the guy, Byakuya rarely approached Ichigo in free will, with the exception of the intent to fight. Ichigo had no idea about the guy's likes and dislikes, or what Byakuya thought of him.

It seemed to Ichigo that Byakuya had a heart of diamond, cold and unyielding. _How anyone could fall in love with someone like that, it seems impossible… _thought Ichigo.

"Ne, Ichigo… Ne!"

"What is it Kon?" asked Ichigo, shaken out of his thoughts.

"Weren't you supposed to be at dinner at 6:30?" asked Kon (How he knows this the author has no idea).

"Um yes, why?" questioned Ichigo with a sense of foreboding.

"Well, that says it's 6:45," said Kon, pointing at a small clock on the bedside table Ichigo had not noticed."

"Aw crap!" cried Ichigo, "I'm gonna be late!" And without a second glance, he hurried out of the room, leaving Kon behind.

"SAY HELLO TO NEE-CHAN FOR ME!!" called Kon after Ichigo.

Ichigo did not bother to reply, as he was frantically searching for the dining room, Rukia had not told him where it was located, darn her!

"This place's too big for its own good," grumbled Ichigo, slamming another screen door shut that lead to yet another wrong room.

After approximately fifteen more minutes of running around and searching, Ichigo happened upon a door that seemed slightly bigger than the rest. Pausing to catch his breath, Ichigo slowly opened the door, hoping it was the right one.

Sure enough, as he peered inside, he spotted two familiar faces looking directly at him. Rukia and Byakuya were both seated at a rather large traditional table, dinner laid out before them. Rukia shot him a look of mixed annoyance and exasperation, Byakuya gazed on expressionlessly.

"Um, sorry for being so late, this place is huge. I had no idea were the dining room was," he directed this last bit at Rukia; she had not told him were they would be eating in the first place.

"Well, it doesn't really matter now, your food is getting cold as we speak, so come and sit down," said Rukia.

Quickly Ichigo made his way to the other cushion that was right next to Byakuya. The captain was not looking at Ichigo; instead he seemed to be set on ignoring the other. Ichigo felt himself bristle mentally, did this guy think he was too cool or something?

There was little conversation during the whole meal, and Ichigo was reminded vaguely of the lunch he had shared with his friends and Ishida when he and the Quincy had come to a make-shift truce. It had been just as silent then, yet Ichigo hadn't really been bothered by it. This time however, Ichigo could feel the awkwardness just as much as spiritual pressure, and he was rather relieved when everyone finished and got up to go back to their rooms.

"I'm pretty tired tonight, so I'll be going to bed now," said Rukia, "Nii-sama's room is right next to yours, so if you don't remember where it is he can show you."

"That would be good," replied Ichigo, _great, just what I need… more quality time with the captain…_

"Well, good night then…" And with that Rukia walked off, leaving Ichigo in a rather awkward situation.

"Umm… lead the way, I guess…" said Ichigo feeling rather gauche. Byakuya didn't help matters much by remaining silent throughout the whole journey, Ichigo had to jog slightly to keep up, as the captain maintained a rather fast pace.

Suddenly Byakuya stopped, so abruptly Ichigo almost ran into him.

"There's your room," said the Kuchiki, pointing at a door on the right.

"Ah, thanks," replied Ichigo, but the captain had already set off again. _Such a chatty bastard eh? _Thought Ichigo, sweatdropping mentally.

Ichigo took a deep breath and attempted to clear his thoughts of the raven-haired man. No doubt Kon laid in wait inside, preparing to ambush Ichigo. Steeling himself for the upcoming onslaught, Ichigo stepped inside his bedroom.

"O ICHIGO!!" cried the plushie joyful tears spilling from his beady eyes. _He is so predictable…_ The orange-haired shinigami sighed.

"Stop that," grunted Ichigo, prying Kon from himself, "I'm tired and grumpy and I just want to sleep."

"So cold…." Sobbed the fuzzy blob, "How can you say such things when know your body like the back of my paw!"

Ichigo twitched at the innuendo; he didn't think he'd be getting any sleep after hearing that. "Kon, can you just go read some porn or something," groaned Ichigo, changing into his pajamas.

"Hmmpf, no need to be so harsh," grumbled Kon, "I'll go sleep in the closet if I'm bothering you so much." And with a sassy flip of his mane, the lion disappeared into the closet.

_Finally,_ thought Ichigo. He felt a little guilty for being so prickly, but the day had worn him down, and brought his temper up. It had not helped that shadowy thoughts of Renji had been lurking in his mind ever since he had come to the Soul Society. He had no idea how he was going to be able to be around the other Soul Reaper. _No matter what I do I still can't get over him… _He was sure that Renji had gotten over Ichigo; after all, he had been the one who had called it off.

"No need to bring up unpleasant memories," muttered Ichigo, crawling into the futon after turning of the light. He tried to erase all thoughts of his old lover, yet the ache inside his chest wouldn't go away…

Eventually Ichigo slipped into darkness, yet his dreams were troubled. Spiraling in darkness, Ichigo caught glimpses of hollow-like shinigami, and once, a raven-haired man with a heart of diamond.

To be Continued –

A/N: I'm very very sorry for the long delay on this chapter, a lot of stuff happened in it and it was rather difficult to write, hopefully things will get easier from now on…

I am also a little troubled by the fact that Ichigo seems to be a bit of OOC, suggestions would be appreciated.

The 4th chapter will be from Byaku-chan's perspective, so that should be pretty fun to write, I'm sure it'll be out sooner than this chapter. :3

I just read the 19th volume of Bleach, and once again I'm struck by Ichigo's kick-ass coolness! Am I the only one, or does Ichigo seem rather well developed for a 15 year old? Look at those muscles!! Byaku-chan's uber smexy too… especially when he's pissed off! (Chapter 163, page 99, bottom panel) The battle was nothing new (I watched the anime before), but there was something very exhilarating about reading the manga version (I got a glimpse of the color version, and that was even more BA! It sux that they didn't do that for the American versions… )

Well, thanx for reading, I love reviews and the encourage me to write, so please, R&R if you want more chapters!! Domo Arigato for all the feedback!!!


	4. Fade to Black

**Cold Fire**

**Chapter IV – Fade to Black**

It was with intense concentration that a certain dark-haired captain practiced his kanji. The swift, purposeful movements of the brush, the ritual of dipping the tip into ink, the transformation of the blank scroll into a delicate black-and-white picture… Indeed, Byakuya often found himself in a meditative state of mind when writing.

Completing the final stroke, the captain gazed down at the finished product. Naturally, his work was flawless, every line was exact. Yet it lacked something… Byakuya was brought back to the time when Rukia had been practicing her kanji; the strokes had been rough and had required much correction, after all, Byakuya could not allow a Kuchiki to be sloppy. However, despite the crude brush strokes and shoddy craftsmanship there was something special woven into the kanji, _feeling_. The captain's work was indeed unblemished and exact, but it lacked feeling.

Feeling mildly disgruntled, Byakuya pushed the paper away and took a deep breath. He was sitting at his desk looking about as casual as he dared, in his most comfortable kimono, which was actually an old shihakusho that was no longer fit for duty. Despite his normally uptight appearance, Byakuya enjoyed the chance to sit down and unwind every once and a while (of course his idea of relaxing was practicing penmanship, so he's not exactly what you'd call laid-back).

Pale hands automatically fiddled with the cord that pulled Byakuya's raven hair into a ponytail. The captain was famous for his signature hairstyle (let down with the special hair ornaments that announced his nobility), yet secretly he preferred having it pulled back. Despite having an intimidating attitude and about as much charisma as a stuffed shirt, Byakuya was a pretty normal guy. Uptight and deadly in battle yes, but pretty normal otherwise. And ever since he had met Ichigo, you could say that he had let his hair down a little bit (figuratively of course).

As he adjusted his ponytail, the captain found his mind wandering to the cumbersome matter of a certain Kurosaki Ichigo. Byakuya's life had always been very precise before the matter of the boy, crisp, clean, all rules and traditions, minus the complicated matter of emotions.

Enter Kurosaki Ichigo, a bright streak of color that shattered the perfect black-and-white world Byakuya had worked so hard to create. Ichigo had stomped right in, crudely scrambling and breaking Byakuya's beliefs with not a care to the world. Their fight had been an awakening for the captain, and it was due to this revelation that Byakuya had been able to repair and nurture a better relationship with Rukia. While it felt very strange to think it, Byakuya was decidedly grateful to the substitute soul reaper for saving Rukia. _Though he still insists on calling me by my first name_, thought the Kuchiki, _What cheek for a 15 year-old boy, I had been around for hundreds of years when he was born… _

Sighing and muttering about youths these days, Byakuya put away his tools and began to get dressed for duty. He carefully put on his captain's coat over his uniform, attached his Zanpakuto to his waist, and painstakingly did his hair. After looking himself over in the mirror, Byakuya slid open the door and began to make his way down to the 6th company headquarters.

It was one of his rare days off, yet Byakuya felt responsible for his company and decided it would be best to check in for an hour or two. As he pondered the pile of paperwork that was probably waiting for him on his desk he failed to notice a certain orange-haired someone coming around the corner.

Ichigo who was not paying attention to his surroundings just about clashed with the captain head-long. Muttering an oath Ichigo stumbled back and Byakuya saw he was going to fall down if he didn't regain his balance. Without thinking the captain had thrust out his arms and grabbed the other by the arms, steadying him quickly.

"Oh, thanks Byakuya," said Ichigo, looking a bit surprised at the captain.

"Kurosaki…" Byakuya blinked, taken aback by the sudden apparition of the object of his thoughts. He had thought that the boy had gone back to the real world after the issue with Rukia had been solved. To see him so all of a sudden was rather unexpected.

"Nii-sama," addressed Rukia hesitantly, in the suddenness of the moment Byakuya had not noticed her standing next to Ichigo.

Rukia explained Ichigo's presence in the Soul Society and Byakuya gave permission for him to stay at the Kuchiki mansion. After excusing himself Byakuya strode off, thinking about what this new arrival would mean.

Later that Evening –

After dinner (which Ichigo was rather late too, not to Byakuya's surprise), the captain lead the other to his room which was very close to his.

They walked together in silence which normally didn't bother Byakuya, after all he was a master of being quiet, but for some reason it felt slightly more awkward than normal. Byakuya quickened his pace, in hopes of making the uncomfortable journey as short as possible.

"There's your room," directed Byakuya curtly, stopping suddenly and gesturing at the door of a room. And with that, the captain made the way to his own room, not even looking back.

As soon as he opened the door to his bedroom, the captain let out a small sigh, he didn't understand the Kurosaki boy. And for that matter, himself; for some reason it bothered him to be around the other. He couldn't just dismiss the boy like he did others, and yet it was hard to acknowledge him for some reason.

"Aggravating…" grumbled the captain quietly, picking up a brush and turning his attention to the mass of paperwork he had picked up at headquarters.

He didn't get to sleep until very early the next morning, yet as he slipped into the grip of sleep all he could think of was the troublesome matter of a certain orange-haired teenager.

"I don't understand you, Kurosaki Ichigo…"

TBC –

**A/N**: Geez, I'm really sorry for the long wait here, the best excuse I have is the annoying issue of school… I did my best to sound like Bya-kun, he's so apathetic and it's kind of hard to get his character down, so please tell me if you like him or not!

I double-spaced the text here, so hopefully it should be easier to read, I always hate big clunky paragraphs.

In other news, I just finished the 23rd episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion!! (It's so amazing and angsty! ) I wrote a little KaworuXShinji oneshot a little while ago and just posted it so please read!!

R&R if you want more chapters, thanks for reading!


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